Tomato-Onion Chutney

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with water and adding a tray of ice cubes.

   Step 2

   Using a paring knife, cut a little cross mark on the bottom of the tomatoes. Immerse them in the boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds, until the skin starts to peel away. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes from the pot and transfer to the ice bath to cool quickly and stop the cooking process. Peel the tomatoes with your hands or a paring knife. Cut them in half and squeeze out the seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside. You should have roughly 3 1/2 cups.

   Step 3

   Put a large skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften slightly and get a little bit of color, about 5 minutes.

   Step 4

   Add the tomatoes and cloves and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down and release their liquid, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and agave. Continue to cook, stirring often to prevent burning, until the liquid has evaporated and the chutney is thick, about 5 minutes. The chutney will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

2. Ingredient Note

   Step 5

   Cipollini Onions

   Step 6

   Pronounced chip-oh-LEE-nee, cipollini are sweet, flattened, flying saucer–shaped onions from Italy. They have a distinctly crisp texture. The good news is they are becoming widely available in markets. If you can’t find them, substitute pearl onions or shallots.